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There's a reason Maine has "Vacationland" printed on its license plates. No matter which of Maine's vacation destinations you and your family visit, there's something that everyone can enjoy, no matter how young or old they are. Whether your kids like the beach, spending the day at an amusement park, hiking or skiing, you'll find it in Maine.

Funtown Splashtown USA

Funtown Splashtown USA is a combination amusement and water park in Saco, Maine. The parks open every spring and cater to tourists and locals until the end of summer. Funtown USA features a variety of rides, including Excalibur, the largest and tallest roller coaster in Maine and Thunder Falls, the tallest and longest log flume ride in New England. Splashtown USA has 18 different water slides and pools, including the Portland Pirates Paradise, which is like a pirate ship-themed jungle gym with water slides, sprinklers, water cannons and other features. Guests can purchase admission to either park or buy combination bracelets that allow access to both.

Old Orchard Beach

Old Orchard Beach is one of Maine's oldest vacation destinations and has a broad variety of activities for kids. The beach itself is home to Palace Playland, a four-acre amusement park with rides, a video game arcade and Ferris wheel. Down the street from Palace Playland is The Pier, where you and your family will find a strip of shops, restaurants and boardwalk games. Baseball fans can take in a game at The Ball Park, which was renovated in 2009 and hosts college ball games.

Bar Harbor

Bar Harbor, Maine, part of Mount Desert Island in eastern Maine is home to Acadia National Park. The coastal resort town makes an ideal headquarters if your kids prefer outdoor activities to glitzy theme parks. Bar Harbor's many rental stores provide bicycles so you can bike up Cadillac Mountain to its picturesque summit and canoes, kayaks, sailboats and powerboats so you can cruise around Frenchman's Bay. Take a hike through Acadia National Park and visit Sand Beach, where you and your family will find Thunder Hole and Otter Cliff.

Sugarloaf

Winter is when Maine really stands out as a hub of tourism and earns its nickname of "Vacationland." If your kids love winter activities, take a vacation to Sugarloaf Mountain. The mountain resort is best known for its ski trails, but Sugarloaf has facilities and equipment for snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, ice-skating, hockey, tubing, snowshoeing and hiking. Sugarloaf also has a small network of ziplines installed throughout the surrounding forest so you can explore the woods from a bird's-eye view. In Carrabasset Valley, at the base of Sugarloaf, you and your family will find the Antigravity Complex and its indoor skate park, rock climbing wall and gym. At night, Sugarloaf has different offerings for kids like Movie Night and Game Night.

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About the Author

Jarrett Melendez is a journalist, playwright and novelist who has been writing for more than seven years. His first published work was a play titled, "Oh, Grow Up!" which he wrote and performed with a group of his classmates in 2002.

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